The Coatesville Area School District has turned to an experienced outsider to help it move past a scandal created by the actions of two former administrators.

Leonard Fitts, of Moorestown, N.J., was hired as interim superintendent Tuesday, beating out five other candidates who submitted resumés to fill the temporary position until a permanent replacement is found, according to school board members.

School board members said the decision to hire an interim superintendent from outside of the district was made in an effort to help move the community forward.

“This is an important day for our students and the entire community,” school board President Neil Campbell said during a press conference Tuesday. “Dr. Fitts is ideally suited to help us move the district forward. His hands-on experience, his leadership and his vision will prove invaluable in the coming weeks and months.”

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Fitts, who will earn $850 a day working on an as-needed basis, has more than 40 years of experience as an educator. He last was the interim superintendent of the Berlin Township School District. He also has been interim superintendent in the Camden and Glassboro school districts and has worked in several other New Jersey districts.

He also served as a special education consultant for Camden School District’s Board of Education, was dean of faculty for the school of education at Cheyney University, and was an adjunct professor and an interim dean at a community college, according to a statement released by the CASD.

Fitts graduated from the Tuskegee University with a bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics. He received his master’s degree in administration and counseling from Tuskegee, his doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in business administration and finance from Drexel University.

He also served as a communications officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1961 to 1963.

At the press conference, Fitts said he wants to help move the district forward from the abrupt departure of former Superintendent Richard Como and former high school Director of Athletics and Activities Jim Donato, who exchanged racial and sexually offensive text messages using district-issued cell phones.

He said he wants to begin “working with staff in a collaborative matter to continue to move the district forward.”

“We must remember that education through our school is the gateway for opportunity for our children,” Fitts said.

According to a release sent by school board member Tonya Thames Taylor on Tuesday night, Fitts will receive $850 per diem with contributions made to his retirement fund. He will not receive mileage reimbursement, and he must reside in Chester County.

Campbell announced the new hire Tuesday, and said Angelo Romaniello will return to his role as assistant superintendent and Teresa Powell will return as director of middle school education.

Romaniello, who came under fire when he was appointed acting superintendent after Como’s departure, said he looked forward to working with Fitts and the rest of the administrative staff as the district moves past recent controversy.

“I’m going to work as well as I can, the best I can, with not only Dr. Fitts but obviously the whole board,” Romaniello told the Daily Local News, sister paper to The Mercury. “My intentions, as they’ve always been, is about the kids and the district moving forward. I’ll be working with Dr. Fitts directly as well Dr. Powell and the rest of the administrators, but most importantly it’s about moving forward.”

The hiring of Fitts came as the district continues to operate under the cloud of a criminal investigation conducted by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

Last week District Attorney Tom Hogan released a scathing statement that publicly criticized school board members and the district’s legal representation for failing to cooperate with an investigation. Hogan also identified district solicitor James Ellison, and his Harrisburg law firm Rhoads & Sinon, as the subjects of a criminal investigation.

Hogan has acknowledged the existence of a criminal investigation that predated the discovery of text messages, but sources have indicated authorities are also examining the district’s handling of Como and Donato’s departures and the resulting aftermath.